Internal-combustion engine



June 1 1926.

- A.V BEHN ET AL INTERNAL COMBUSTIO ENGINE Filed Nov. 4, 1922 Tsheetssheet 1 Fmi.

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` INVENTORS. v ADOLPHEEH/v. BY .fo/1N cHM/T?? ZW@ L ATToR une 1,7925. BEHN ET AL 1,587,275

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 4, 1922 vsheets-sheet 5 .fune l 1926. Y 1,587,215

` A. BEHN ET AL INTERNAL ICOMBUS'IION ENGINE 'Filed Nv. 4, 1922 '7 sheets-sheet e IN VENTO/a5' /4004/3/1 BEHN. JOHN G. CHM/T7.-

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June 1 1926. I

. 1,587,275 e A. BEHN ET AL .INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 4:..1922 rsneetsfsheet v Fei. A

iiiiiiiiim! U i U i :vzi 's' I Patented .lune l, 1926.

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Anonrii BEEN AND JOHN er.y SCHMITT, or NEwYoRK, N. Y.

INTERNAL-coMBUsTIoN ENGINE.

Application filed November 4, 1922. )Seriar No. 599,034.

Oui' invention.' relates to rotary internal combustion engines, and more particularly to air cooled multi-cylinder engines of the two stroke cycle rectilinear type.

An object of thefinvention is tosc con-- struct and so arrange the cylinders of the engine in pairs or groups of two or-more c l- -inders each that the piston of one cylin er of each pair or group will act to compress and deliverthe fuel chargev to the correspondingly disposed cylinder of the next adjacent cylinder group whereby, for each complete revolution of the engine, a working or power stroke is produced.

'- A further object of the invention is the arrangement of the fuel feed line connections between associated compression and workingcyli'nders in such manner that said fuel4 feed line connections will, in each instance, deliver the fuel charges to the respective outer cylinder ends, and incidently, in view'of such arrangement, iiiterbrace the several cylinder groups.

A further object of the invention is the adoption of an arrangement by means of which thea'dmission of the fuel charges and the exhaust of the` spent gases respectively to and from the several working cylinders is directly controlled by themovements of lthe several pistons in covering and uncovering, at predetermined intervals, the necessary cylinder ports.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means, directly associated with' each working cylinder, for completely and quickly affecting a removal ofthe products of. combustion therefrom, such means coniprising an air induction pipe open to the combustion chamber'and an exhaust port preferably substantially diametrically op-l posed, said exhaust port being so ldisposed in its relation to the scavengingintake' port as to open slightly in advance thereof.

"A still further object-of the invention is the provision of a novel form of annular exhaust manifold into which the exhaust pipes leading from separate working cylinders individually discharge, said manifold comprising a fixed part and a part rotatable.

with the engine cylinders, such parts being in open communication.

Other objects of the invention, such for instance as the improved means for cooling y the heat generating parts of the motor, the

means for inducing complete exhaust by creating afsuction force in the intakemanifold, -the means employed for effecting a proper and thorough lubrication of the.

working partsof the engine, and theineans employed for supplying fuel to 4the engine cylinders by Way of the rotatingcrank case etc., will be hereinafter more fully de scribed.

I In the drawings, wherein like reference ,characters denote like or corresponding parts Figure 1- is -a plan view of the engine.

showing a preferred form of'engine sup- Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sec tional view of the engine Figure` 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the engine;

Figure V6 is a part plan and part sectional ,View of the engine;

Figure 7 is a detail side elevation of one of I the cylinder blocks;

Figure Sis a detail sectional view of the annular exhaust manifold;

Figure 9 is a perspective viewof the-inner connecting iod ends;

Figure 10 is a det-aill sectional view of the crank shaft; Figure 11 is a longitudinal vertical sec.- tional view of oneof the cylinder blocks;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional View of one of the Valve casings; l

Figure 13 is a-fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the 'engine bearers are fastened to the. frame or chassis of the vehicle in connection with which the` ,motor is adapted to be used;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective View of the annular exhaust manifold, showing the manner in which the parts thereof interengage; and

Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a form of hand-grip which may.

be conveniently used in starting.

In the embodiment of the invention selecte'd `for illustration a twelve cylinder two stroke cycle rotary internal combustion en' gine is shown. The crank case of the e'ngine, designated as 20, is preferably open .ended-and of'hexagonal. form in transverse section. lt is provided with end closures 2l and22, both of which closures are shouldered as at 23 to snugly engage with the inner wall of the crank case chamber 24. Be-

tween the end closures 21 and 22 and the opposite ends of the crank case, end plates 25 are disposed, said plates being held in place by bolts 26 which extend through the integral hollow. extension 27 anda driving extension 28. Said driving extension 28 is tapered throughout Aa portion of its-length and is provided witha threaded end portion 29. On the tapered' portion of said extension the hub 30 of a. fly-wheel 3l is fitted,

and-since the driving extension is at all times rotatable with the crank case, obviously a driving connection for the fly-wheel is obtained. c Preferably'the fly-wheel h ub 30 is keyed as indicated at 32to the driving extension 28 and held against axial movement thereon by a lock-nut 33 screwed on the threaded end portion 29 of said. exten-V sion.

llhe forward end closure 22, instead of.

of said shaft. Onvits extended periphery' gear teeth 34 are formed, said gear teeth affording a driving connection for an engine accessory, such for instance as a magneto (not shown).

The crankshaft of the engine, designated in its entirety as 35, is preferablyof a two part construction. The crank oroffsetpoi'- tion' 36 of the crank shaft and the forward big end bearing 37" thereof are preferably made integral, and together constitute one of the two crank shaft parts.- Said offset portion 36 at the end thereof opposite to the' big end bearing 37 is provided with a tapei'ed extension 38 having formed thereon a further extension 39. 4Said tapered extension 38, in the assembly of the crank shaft parts, is ada` ted to engage in a correspondingly'tapered opening40 formed iii the rear big end bearing 41. A lock-nut 42 threaded on theextension 39 of the off-set serves as a fastening means for holding the crank shaft parts together.

`Unlike the forward big end bearing 37,

'the rear big end bearing 41 is provided with a concentric extension 43 which is adapted to engage in the hollow extension 27 of the crank case. Both big end bearings, 37 and 41, together with the extension 43 formed on the latter, constitute the necessary bear- .ing surfaces about which the crank case 22 revolves. Bushings 44, 45, and 46V are preferably interposed between the big end bearings 37-41 and the end closures 22-21 on the one hand and the crank shaft extensioni -from the olf-set 36 Thus organized, the crank bore and of generally similar construction.

Half only of the total number of cylinders vconstitute working cylinders, the remaining half functioning merely as cylinders within which the fuel charge necessary to the operation of the motor is adapted to be ,compressed and delivered'to the working cylinders comprised in adjacent cylinder groups. f"

The workinfT cilinders of each c lindcr group aie designated as 47, whereas the conipression cylinders of each group are designated as 48. `1Vithin each working cylinder a power pistonv49 is enclosed and within lach compression cylinder 48 a compression piston 50 is enclosed. The working pistons 49 are in each instance connected with the oil-set 36 of the crank shaft, as are alsothe pistons 50 mounted in the compression cylinders 48. In the arrangement disclosed, the cylinders comprised in the several cyliiider groups are mounted in two series, each series comprising three compression cylinders and three working cylinders alternately disposed radially about the crank case 22. Instead of connecting the compression cylindcrs 48 comprised in the several cylinder groups with the working cylinders 47 comprised-in the corresponding groups, the compression cylinders 48 are connected with the working cylinders ofadjacent cylinder groups, suitable fuel feed line connections 51 of substantially arcuate form being provided for this purpose. Thus organized, .it .is apparent that the'two series of cylinders function independently iii that the three compression cylinders comprised in a single series function only to compress and deliver fuel charges to the working cylinders of the same series, and not to the workingcylinders comprised in series number two.

In Figure 9 of the drawings the preferred arrangement of the inner connecting-rod ends is shown. It will be noted in said figure that the six connecting-rods comprised in a single series exteiidradially outwardly in the crank shaft. Such connecting-rods are designated as 52 and 53, 52 .denoting the connecting-rods for the working pistons 49, and 53 denoting the connecting-rods for the compression pistons 50, saidpistons 49 and 5 04 being the total number of pistons provided for the six cylinders comprised in a single cylinder series. At their inner ends the connecting-rods 52 and 53 are so mounted on the off-set inthe crank shaft as to rotate freely thereabout, connecting-rod rings 54 which encircle the crank shaft off-set being provided for this purpose. The grouping of theconnecting-l rod rings 54 about the crank shaft is preferably such that at least one connecting-rod As hereinabove intimated, each of the 'sev-v -eral c linders comprised in the total number of 'cy inder groups is of a generally similar construction. Both the compression cylinvalve casing 58 of correspondingly disposed g (Il l co ders and theworking cylinders arelprovided at their -outer ends with diametrically opposed internally threaded openings 5.5 and 56, the vopenings 55 in the compression cylinders` being plugged', as they serve no useful Zpurpose. Within the openings 55 of,

the working cylinders any form of conventional spark-plug-- 57 ,is threaded. The threaded openings 56 of the cylinders are each adapted to receive an exteriorly threaded valve casing 58, the valve casing for the 'compression cylinders,` although generally similar, being of asomewliat different constructionf Over the projected ends of the' working cylinders and compression cylinders comprised in adjacent cylinder groups, the opposite ends of the fuel feed'line connections 51 arefitted, and since each of the several valve casings 58 are open to the cylinders into which said casings yare threaded, obviously the lnecessary vfuel feed line connection between correspondingly disposed cylinders 'of a jacent cylinder groups is established.

Within each valve casing .58 a check valve 59 is mounted, the valves in eachv instance.

being springv pressed as indicatedfat 60. The valves for the compressioncylinders open outwardly or away from the cylinder,

bodies, and the valves for the working cylinders open inwardly or toward the cylin` der bodies; such varrangement being essen-` tial as a check againstthe return flow of the fuel charges once they leave' the compressioncylinders and once they-enter the working cylinders (see Figure 5).

In the cylinder arrangement adopted, six

power -strokes are obtained,y one foreach working cylinder, for each complete revolution of the motor, the timingf thel motor' -being preferablysuch that each working cylinder is made to'ex'ecute its power stroke '-themomensuch cylinder approaches' the on topor vertical position.-

The fuel ynecessaryto the loperation of the motor issupplied by a carburetor 61. Said carburetor is connected as at 62 with an'V `'opening 63 formed in the forward big end bearinor 37 of the crank shaft and leading inwardly through said bearing to the crank chamber 24 formed in the crank case. From -the crank'chamber 24 the fuel is conducted to the compression cylinders 48 through fuel passageways 64 formed iii the cylinder groups between the cylinders comprising them. These passageways 64 are radially arranged and communicate, one with eachcompression' cylinder, at their outer ends, through intake ports A65 formedin the coniression cylinderwalls at points immediate-1 y beyond the outer ends of the compression pistons 50 when said pistons shall have at# `tained their innermost position. The fuel thus entering through the intake ports 65 is immediately partially compressed and delivered to the adjacent working cylinders -with which such 'compression cylinders are I? associated. Upon entering the working cylinders the fuel charges thus admitted are further compressed and finally ignited.

thereby driving the' working pistons 49 I away from theouter cylinder ends.

To completely scaveiige the .working cyl-- inders 47 of the products of combustion, an auxiliary airsupply is admitted to the combustion chamber of each cylinder at a pointsubstantially diametrically opposite f an exhaust port formed therein'. Said auxiliary air supply means comprises an induction pipe 66 for each --working cylinder, the induction pipe for each cylinder being provided with a flared outer end open to the outside atmosphere in the direction of rotation-of the engine. Said induction pipes 66- at their inner ends are fastened to the cylinder bodies directly over the scavenging intake ports 67 through which the auxiliary i air supply is admitted. Obviously, there- L fore the moment the scavenging intake ports- 67-'are uncovered by the movements of thelworking pistons the Aair entrapped in the .v induction pipesf-66 will rush inthe working cylindersabove '-thepistons and carry along with it, as-it lea-ves -the.cylinders, the products of combustion.

v The exhaust ports 68 formed in the working cylinders .substantially diametrically opposite the scavenging intake por-ts 67 have eachV connectedwithnthem an exhaust pipe 69. These exhaustpipes 69 extend rear-- wardly between the cylinder groups to vpointsjof discharge witliinanannular ex- ELIO haust manifold, designated-'vin its entirety i as 70. Said exli-aujst vmanifold 70 comprises and 72 are in open communication, the part- 7l being preferably of channel section with 'its open side extended between-spaced annular flanges 74 and 75 formed on the fixedpart .72. As a means for inducing-complete l 'a rotating part 7land a fixed part 72, the, former being bolted as `at' 73 to the Arear vseries of cylinders. `Said manifold parts 7l iao exhaust and for creating a suction force within the annular manifold 70,'fan blades 7G are provided on the inside of the'lixed part 72 of the manifold. From the annular exhaust manifold the products of combus- -tion ultimately find their way through an outlet 77 to a inufllerv (not shown).

The support for the engine and -for the engine accessories employed in connection therewith preferably comprises transverse engine bearers 78 and 79, the former being disposed at the forward end of the motor and the latter at the' .opposite end thereof.

Said engine bearer 79 is 'of channel section and intermediately of its ends is shaped as at 80 to receive and support the fixed part 72 of the. exhaust manifold 70.' It is further provided, likewise interniediately of its A. big end bearin0V 37 of the crank shaft, andthe crankshaft in this manner heldl stationary.

` ends, with an opening 81 into which vthehollow extension 27 of the crank case is fitted. Through the use of a bushing 82 between Said hollow extension and the walls of said opening an ell'eciive support for the rear end of the motor provided.

At` its forward end the motor is supported by the transverse engine bearer 78,V said bearer being bolted as at 82 tothe forward The means employed for oilingthe movingl partsy of the motor includes an oil reservoir `83 preferably disposed below the en-` gine and held in place by `s fuspension as indivcated in Figure 2. An oil supply pipe 84 leads from thereservoir 83 to a'n oil pump- 85`belt driven as at 86froin the liub 30 of the fly-wheel, said-hub, for this purpose,

being constructed in the form of a double pulleyas indicated in4 Figure 4. F rom the oil.` pump 85 the oil is delivered under pres* sure through a feedl'ii'SG to a distributing oil duct 87 formed in the off-set 3G of the crank shaft' 35. Branch oil ducts 88. 89,

and 90A are vformed respectively in the big ,end-bearing. 37, the off-set. 3G, and the big endA bearing 41S of the'crank shaft, the oil duct 8S being arranged to deliver oil to the forward bearing surface, the oil ducts'89 arranged to deliver oil to the inner connectingrod ends,- andrthe oil duct 90 arranged to deliver. oil to the rear big end bearing surface. To distribute the oil uniformly oversaid extension to deliver oil' to thev outer bearing of the hollow" crank case extension 27. From said outer bearing the surplus oil is returned to thereservoir 83 through a return pipe Thus organized, alfull pressure feed oiling system is provided reaching all parts of the motor required'to be lubricated. A

The coolingl of the motor is obtained-pri# niarily through the use of cooling ii'ns 93 formed on the exterior of the vcylinder bodies, and preferably spiralled thereabout. As an auxiliary cooling means two fans are provided, one inadvance of and the other to the rear of the engine cylinders. rl`lie blades 94 of the forward fan are bolted as at 95-to the forward series of engine cylinders, whereas the blades 96 of the rear fan are fastened in any suitable manner to the spokes of the fly-wheel. In this manner the airnecessary to the efficient cooling of 'the motor cylinders is directed rearwardly over the cooling fins 93 by the forward fan andwithdrawn therefrom by the rear fan to be thereby constantly kept in rapid motion. In addition to the oilv pump drive 86,' the double pulley formed at the hub of the lywheel 3lV serves also asa driving means for the generator 97, said generator being pref# erably inounted'at one side of the motor as indicated -in Figure 1.- There is also provided as a driving means for the conventional electric starter 98, gear teeth. 99, said teeth being formed on the outer periphery of the fly-wheel to mesh with the starter gear, undesignated.

lt will be seen from the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that a motor thus characterized is exceedingly compact and exceptionally econ'oinical in operation. By arrangingthe scavenging intake ports 67 and the exhaust poits 684 of the working cylinders 47 slightly out of alignment, the pressures v in the coinbustion chambers will be, partly relieved prior tothe admission of the auxiliary air supply. It will be further observed that the relative arrangement of the scavenging intake ports and exhaust ports is such that -a portion at least .of the incoming auxiliary air supply will beeiitrapped in the working cylinders to offer a cooling effect thereon and at the saine time better the fuel mixture necessary .to the operation of the motor. Moreover, by placing the fuel feed line connections 51 at the outer cylinder ends, said connect-ions not only serve as the necessary fuel delivery means, but they further funcg tion as strengthening in enibers interconnecting adjacent cylinder groups.

In Fig. 13 ofthe drawings we have illustiated a preferred form of lconnection between one of the side rails of the frame or chassis of. the vehicle 101 and the forward ends of the said rails, securing bolts 102 bcing used as a fasteningineans at such points.

' l/Ve have further illustrated in Figure l5 I ,y a hand-griplOS as a means for hand starttation of the motor.

ing. Each cylinder block is provided with yan Vintegrally formedgrip so disposed on its outer end as to admit of manual rotation of the motor when it is desired to start the saine by hand.` f i j i W hilc we liavedescribed our invention in detail in its present preferred embodiment,

'it will be obvious to those skilled in the art 4including a compression cylinder and a working cylinder; and a pluralityT of fuel feed .line connections respectively between each com-pression cylinder and one working cylinder only of the next adjacent cylinder group, said connections, in each instance, being confined to the cylinders comprised in a single radial series, and being extended,`in each instance, away from the compression cylinder in a direction counter to the direction of ro- 2. The coniloination, in la rotary internal combustionv engine, of a crank shaft, a plu-i rali-ty of cylinders arranged radially about the crank shaft in tandem series, the correspondingly disposed cylinders of the separate tandem series being` cast en bloc," and the cylinders of each said series being alternately working cylinders and compression cylinders, and the tandem cylinders lof one v said series being oppositely working or compression (as the case may be) with respect to t-he correspondingly disposed cylinders of theother said series, and fuel feed line connections respectively between each compression cylinder and one working cylinder only of the next adjacent cylinder group, said connections, in eachinstance, being confined to the cylinders comprised in av single radial series, and being extended, in each instance, -away fromthe compression cylinder in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of themotor. i

3. The combination, in a rotary internal combustion engine, of a :stationary crank shaft, av crank case', a plurality of cylinders arranged radiallyv about the crank Shaft in groups of two cylinders each, the cylinders of each group being .cast en ,blocl and aligned longitudinally of the crank shaft axis, each cylinder group including a compression cylinder and a working cylinder having formed therebetween and within the cylinder casting a fuel passageway leading radially outi'vardlv from said crank case to a point of discharge laterally into the coinj'iressioii.cylinders only, and fuel feed line connections respectively between each compression cylinder and one working cylinder only of the next adjacent cylinder group,'said conn'ec-.

tions, in each instance, being. confined to the Vcylinderscomprised inv a single radial series,

and being extendechin 'each instance, an'ay from the compression 'cylinder in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the motor. y

t. The combination, in a-rol'ary internal combustion engine, of a crank sliaft,ia crank case, a plurality of cylinders arranged radially about the crankshaft in tandem sc'iies,'the I.

correspondinglydisposed cylinders of theV separate tandem series being-cast en bloc, and the cylinders ot each said series being alternately workingl cylinders and compression cylinders, and the-tandem cylinders of one i said series being oppositcly working or coinpression (as the case may be) with respect to the correspondingly disposedl cylinders of the other said series, a fuel passageway,

formed in each'cylinder block between thecylinders thereof, each saidV fuel passageway leading` radiallyv outwardly from said crankcase to a poi-nt of discharge laterally into the compression cylindersonly, and fuel feed vline connections respectively between each compression cylinder and'one working cylinder only of the next, adjacent. cylinder block, said connections, in each instance, being confined to the cylinders comprised in a single radial'series, and being'extended, in each instance, away from the compression cylinder in a direction'counter to the direction of rotation of the motor.

icc

5. The combination, in a rotary internal combustion engine, o f a stationary crankshaft, a plurality of4 cylinders arranged radially about the crank shaft, said radial cylinders being alternately working cylindersand compression cylinders, a piston for each cylinder, a connecting rod for each piston,'a connecting` rodv ring-formed on the inner end of each connecting rod, said rings being so relatively arranged that the rings formed on the. connecting rods which enter the working cylinders lie closer to the trans- Verse center lineof the connecting rod series than do the rings formed on the connecting rodswhich enter the compression cylinders.

6. The combination, in a rotary internal combustion engine, of- `a stationary crank. shaft, a plurality of 'rotating cylinders arranged radially about the crank shaft, said cylinders being alternately working cylinders and compression cylinders, a piston for each cylinder, a connecting rod for each piston, and. one or more connecting rod lrings formed on the inner end of each connecting rod to encircle the crank shaft, said rings being so relatively arranged that one ring of each connecting rod entering a working cylinder lies closer to the transverse center line of the connecting rod series than do the rings of the connecting rods .entering the compression cylinders.

" f3; s 7. The combination, in a rotary internal combustion engine, or a crank shaft having point of said oli'set, an enlargement formed' on the and each endjofthe crank shaft,

said enlargements being adapted te respectively engage within the crank case openings as defined by said bearing surfaces, and one of said enlargements having formed therein 'a straight line center bore which, at its inner end, discharges directly into the crank l case-at a point wholly unobstructed by the about the crank: case, vbelng cast en bloc and having formed offset in the crank shaft, cylinders arranged in .groups of two eachl disposed radially each cylinder'group therein between the cylinders thereof an out- Wardly extending fuel passagewa each said laterally into one only of the cylinders coml prsed in a single cylinder group, and a carpassage'way at its outer end ischarging uretor for supplying fuel to said crank case lthru the straight line center bore of the' vllcrank shaft enlargement.

18. The combination, in. a rotary internal '-f-'faimbustion' engine, of a crank case, a crank i j shaft, a plurality of v`cylinders arranged radi-v yally about the' crank shaft in tandem-series', 4e

the correspondingly disposed cylinders of the separate tandem series being casten bloc,

and the cylinders of each of sadseries being alternately working cylinders and compression cylinders, and the tandem Cylinders of one of said series being oppositely working or compression (as the case may be) with respect to the correspondingly disposed cylinders of -the other of said series, said correspondingly disposed cylinders having formed between them and within the block casting a plurality lof radial passageways, each of which passagcways at its inner end is open to the crank case and leach of' which at'its outer end is opened laterally to the compression cylinders only at a point intermediate the cylinder ends, fuel feed line connections respectively between each eoii'i'pression cylinder and one working cylinder only of (he next adjacent cylinder block, said con'- nections in each instance, being'conined to the cylinders' comprised in a single radial series, and being and extended, in each in`- stance, away from the compression cylinder in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the motor, an exhaust pipe for each working cylinder, the exhaust pipes, in each instance., being rotatable with said cylinders, an annular exhaust manifold into which said pipes discharge, said manifold comprising a. rotatable part of channel section and a fixed part of channel section, said two parts being adapted to fit one within the other with their open sides adjacent, means within the `channel of the fixed manifold .part and so related to the open side of the rotatable manifold part as to create within the manifold 'a suction force tending to induce exhaust, and means for supplying fuel to the crank case thru an o ening formed in the crank shaft at one eng.

In testimony whereof we hereuntov aixour signatures.

ADOLPH BEHN.

JOHN'G. SCHMITT. 

